wolfcrunch's bnha one-shots
by wolfcrunch
Summary: a series of my hero academia one-shots made by yours truly; a variety of scenarios and a variety of characters. mostly angst because its the only thing i can write well [taking suggestions!] [tags will be at the top of every chapter!] UPDATED WEEKLY
1. end of the road

**based on 'All Might: Rising' OVA; contains Character Death**

* * *

"Master!" Toshinori's call is swallowed up by the crackling electricity, the blonde hero-in-training watching helplessly as his mentor pushes him away, up into the air where Gran Torino can carry him. He's helpless, useless - unworthy and unable to fight, to save. "Master!"

Nana Shimura ignores his cries, clinging on desperately to the last flickering energy of One For All, as well as her own quirk. Violet-magenta flames dance arround the terrain that served as her battlefield, her dark eyes focusing onto the shape that stood tall and mighty amongst the destruction this fight had caused, much of which hadn't been caused by herself.

The seventh user of the sacred, passed quirk stares her at her arch-nemesis, unwilling to break eye contact with the decade-old foe. But she ignores him, raising an arm with slight difficulty as she points before clenching her fist, hoping that her protege is watching, hoping that he is safe and well. "All Might...I'm counting on you."

She knows he can't hear her. She knows its the end of the road for her. But she has to try.

_Sorahiko...look out for him, please. Raise him how I will be unable to. Make sure his dream comes true._

She hopes they can both forgive her for this. She hopes they understand - she simply cannot walk away, not with _him_ here. Not when his next target would be Toshinori.

"All For One," Nana allows herself to speak, despite everything hurting and feeling as if the oxygen is being squeezed out of her lungs. The hero shifts her stance, allowing herself to fully face the man clad in black, looking as if he had gained nothing more than a scratch during their battle. An aloof sneer is on his face as he gazes down at her, but Nana doesn't back down. "One For All will destroy you."

Maybe not now - maybe not in ten years time. But if Nana had anything to say about it, even in death, she would make sure All For One was taken down, once and for all. The cycle of hatred and killing would end. Her death, her sensei's death and the deaths of the five previous holders before them - they would not be in vain. She feels the familiar buzz of One For All rage under her skin - the quirk of which she had already passed to her protege.

_"You are not yet ready."_

A warning given through a dream - a predecessor, what had he been talking about...what was she not ready for?

_All Might...you can figure it out. You can win._

_"MASTER!"_

All For One cackled overheard, his shadowed face turning gleeful as he raised a hand, crackling with black and red electricity. His blood-thirsty gaze fell upon the One For All user. "Thank you for such wonderful comedy." his voice roars over the flames and the lightning and everything else as he raises a hand.

Nana stares death in the face. She smiles - the easiest thing for her to do in this state.

The world around her explodes - reds and browns of the terrain fade to black and white as her body is hit with excruciating pain everywhere, the daunting laugh of All For One echoing through her ears.

But she feels at peace. Only one thought rings loudly through her head.

_Next...it's your turn..._

_I'm sorry, Toshinori..._

* * *

"Let me _go_-" Toshinori struggles against Gran Torino's grasp, fumbling to fight back, to save her. "-she _needs_ us!" He could easily fight his way out - despite the Jet quirk user having the reins for now, the student knows he could use One For All and fight his way out - he had an unnatural mastery of it, Gran Torino wouldn't be able to keep hold while they were in the air like this.

But he refused.

"Master!" Toshinori shrieks one last time, seeing a growing, glowing orb of energy expand on the abandoned piece of land they had been on minutes before - where his master and All For One still stood. "Master, _no_!"

The earth rattled, shuddered and broke as the orb of energy exploded, sending shockwaves through the surrounding area and destroying anything within the immediate vicinity.

_Including Nana._

Toshinori's calls die in his throat, tears shakily dripping down his face. His voice caught, and he forced himself to take a shuddering breath.

_No, no, it wasn't __**fair-**_

A gasp escaped him as Sorahiko finally landed - on the outskirts of the closest city, he let of of the student. Toshinori couldn't hold himself up, and simply crumbled to the ground, shuddering and heaving as more tears escaped. He knew he had to be strong, he _knew_...but he _couldn't_! He couldn't look up as Gran Torino crouched down in front of him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, kiddo." His voice was soft, so unlike the man who often took enjoyment in training him roughly. If Toshinori had bothered to look up, he would see the hero shaking with suppressed sadness and rage...he was holding it in for the boy who had lost his sensei...no, for someone who had been much, _much_ more.

"I-I can't." Toshinori heaves, forcing his eyes to close as he tries to breathe in. "She's gone and I did _NOTHING!_"

All Might had failed. He had failed the first person that believed in him.

So much for the 'Symbol of Peace'.

_You're next...All For One._


	2. how the mighty fall

**contains Main Character Death and Language (thanks to Bakugou), based around their third year. Slight Manga Spoilers**

* * *

_"Dammit-"_

Izuku ducked and weaved under a big, clawed hand that swiped heavily at him, using the opening to power up 40% of One For All into his legs, sending a side kick into the noumu's meaty side and sending it stumbling. The greenette gritted his teeth before going in again, this time his foot connecting with the noumu's head, where the usual exposed brain would be. But this Noumu was different.

A High-end level noumu...to think that Endeavour had fought someone on this level just a mere year and a half ago.

Izuku was brought out of his thoughts by a loud, sizzling sound emitting from the nomou as it let out a jagged snarl of breath, and Izuku barely had the time to dodge as an intense wave of heat burst from the creature in front of him.

_Heat Wave...an intense quirk, the previous holder said it could_ cook _things if it got hot enough._ Izuku had to stop the shudder that escaped. _So it's quirks must be fire based...Shigaraki was probably expecting Endeavor to come along._

The thing that had once been a human - a person like Izuku himself - snapped its gnarled teeth as it stared at him with five bloodshot eyes. "M-must...kill...bl-ood!"

They didn't seem to be able to speak very well still, the hero in training noted, dashing in to thrust a kick into the noumu's chest, managing to send it back a few feet. But apart from that, it didn't seem to do that much overall damage...

The sounds of distant fighting rose through the backdrop, Izuku knew help wasn't coming, at least not anytime soon. Noumu had been sent out all along the area surrounding Yuuei...it was a miracle that any of them actually managed to get _outside_ the campus itself.

The noumu lets out a sound that was a mixture between a roar and a snarl before barreling towards the student. Izuku quickly kicked off from the ground, waiting until he was directly above the noumu before roundhouse kicking the thing head-on, adding an extra 5% to his legs as he did so. The iron soles of his hero costume added extra force behind it, knocking the huge creature down and creating a small crater.

Still awake, it clicked its teeth together, flickering orange flames spewing from its maw, but before Izuku could land another hit, the sound of explosions grew louder and louder.

"Deku!"

"K-Kacchan!" he gawked as his childhood enemy-turned-rival literally flew into the battlefield thanks to the help of his explosions. Only wearing the now-slim green gauntlets that traveled from his wrists to his elbow from his costume, the blond gave a crazed grin, his palms crackling as he closed in.

"Kick it up, you damn nerd!"

Izuku balked, but turned back to the noumu as he watched it begin to get back up, flames still escaping from its gaping jaw. He acted quickly, maneuvering so his kick hit it squarely in the chest, the kick hefting the bulky creature up before he kicked it with his other leg, sending it higher.

Kacchan wanted to let loose. But he didn't want to cause damage.

Closing in on the noumu, Katsuki Bakugou sneered as he brought his hands close together, tensing before his gauntlets clicked into place, letting loose the biggest explosion he could muster - the shockwave of wind strong enough to almost knock Izuku off his feet.

_"Fuck yea!"_ He howls, being thrown back by his own explosion, but still managing to land on his feet, ignoring the stinging pain still present in his arms.

"How did you even get out of the campus?!"

"Sensei's distracting the noumu by the entrance, Kirishima and I managed to sneak out." Bakugou watches the smoke from his explosion dissipate, the Noumu falling back towards earth with Izuku scrambling backwards to not get hit in case it was still awake.

Needless to say, it didn't rise to the challenge. Must not have any adsorption-type quirks.

"What about-"

"Kirishima is fine on his own," Katsuki cuts in, brushing his jeans before he stares at Izuku. "Besides, we don't have time to just stand around - you said Shittyraki was in the area, right?"

"Well he has to be, these noumu didn't come from nowhere." Izuku insists, "and All For One is still in jail as far as we know-"

"Then lets go already!" Katsuki snaps, wringing his wrists to get some feeling back. "We'll circle U.A and look for the fucker, he won't be too hard. Think you can keep up?"

The explosive boy didn't wait for an answer, already blasting off as Izuku felt the familiar buzz of Full Cowling cloak him, a grin easing its way onto his freckled face. He didn't need to answer, kicking off from the ground so he could follow the exploding student.

He didn't think - he _could_.

* * *

In hindsight, perhaps it would've been better for the two of them to wait for a teacher, a hero - someone. They shouldn't have gone off on their own, with no one knowing what direction they went in. But neither could afford to wait.

They needed to find Shigaraki. They needed to stop him.

But nothing could have prepared either student on what they found.

"Oi, Deku!" Izuku raised his head to look up at Katsuki, who had come to land on a nearby rooftop. "Come on!"

The green-clad teenager quickly hopped his way - literally - up the building, nearly sending himself sprawling once he reached the roof before he gained his footing. With a scowl, Katsuki reached out and steadied the other boy with a huff, mumbling that he should 'watch his fucking feet'.

"He's down there."

Katsuki gestured to where he had spotted the decaying quirk user, and Izuku nodded, looking towards his classmate. "Are we going quietly?"

"Hell no." a knowing smirk made its way onto the blonds face. "Let him hear us coming. Then he'll know he's in for a whole world of pain."

"Y'know, Kacchan, I actually agree with you for once."

"Tch, you should always agree with me, nerd." Katsuki snarks, but unlike the previous two years - there isn't much malice in his tone.

Both boys descend from the building together, the so called 'Wonder Duo' ready to strike.

It didn't take them long to find the villain, who had made his presence very known. When the two caught up, the villain almost looked gleeful, as if he wasn't facing the two strongest students U.A. had to offer.

They saw why. Shigaraki wasn't alone.

Izuku's hands shook, and it took Katsuki holding him by the shoulder to prevent him from rushing forward into the danger. _No no this couldn't be happening-_

_"All Might!"_

There his mentor sat, weakened and at Shigaraki's mercy. He was scuffed - Izuku could see even from here that he had taken a few hits already, like he had tried to fight the villain - fight with power he didn't have. Said villain's face lit up once he spotted the two heroes in training.

"Ah, so good of you to join us, heroes!"

The current One For All user didn't need to look to know that a snarl had taken over Katsuki's features - and he was fairly certain that the same could be said for him. But before either could move forward or emulate a plan, Izuku watched as All Might - _no_, Toshinori Yagi - forced himself to raise his head.

_Oh god, Izuku could see the blood running down his gaunt face._

"S-stay back-"

"_Tsk_, what have I told you about speaking out of turn, All Might." The last few words spun into a snarl as the villain leaned down to study the blond hard in the face. He didn't have the usual hand covering his face - Izuku could only watch as he leaned closer _and closer-_

_No get away-_

Shigaraki quickly grasped All Might by the hair, dragging him upwards but making sure that one finger was left off. Izuku couldn't help the sound that escaped his throat - a mixture between a howl and a gasp - as he was gripped tighter by Katsuki and dragged back a few steps.

Izuku could fight, he could get out of Katsuki's grasp if he used One For All - he could _save him-_

"I suggest you stay where you are." Shigaraki drawled, his tone taking on a chilling edge, "after all, I wouldn't want to _accidentally_ drop the final finger before its all over."

"You fucker-" Katsuki mutters, his rage-filled eyes narrowed as he glares at the villain.

"Let me go-"

"No, Deku. We wait." Katsuki tells the other, cutting Izuku off. He almost wants to punch the blond for it. _Almost_. But he can see it in the others face.

He's _scared_.

Not a lot made Katsuki scared...but here they were. He was right, they needed to be careful. They needed to wait for an opening...

"Shigaraki..." All Might spoke up again, holding back a mouthful of blood. "...let them go."

The pale-haired man had the audacity to scowl at the retired pro-hero. "No, no. I think it would be in the best interest for _all_ of us if they stay put."

An uneasy silence fell following his words, before Izuku finally spoke up again.

"You don't need him for anything-"

"Izuku Midoriya," the greenette was stilled at the villains words. "All Might's protege...honestly, I don't know how it took me so long to see." Shigaraki sneers. "Like an overprotective helicopter parent...but you were always there, even when you weren't suppose to be." he scoffs.

"The USJ, Hosu, Kamino Ward...even the Yakuza." anger passes in the villains gaze. "You're always there, _messing_ things up. Just like All Might. And your quirks...or should I say _quirk_."

_Does...does he know about One For All?_

"Heh, you shouldn't have exposed your secret, All Might."

_All Might..._told _him?_

"You thought you could, how should we put it, 'bring me back' after telling me of this quirk? The fact that my grandmother before you held it as her own?" Shigaraki snorts in what could be taken as amusement. "I couldn't care less - Sensei was there for me, not this 'Nana Shimura'. She's practically a stranger. I thought you, of all people, would know better than to willingly approach an enemy and no way to get out."

So All Might approached him...had he used the attack to get closer? That was so _stupid-_

Shigaraki let go of All Might's yellow locks, allowing the former hero to gain his breath back as a wide grin took over his features. "A quirk that can be passed and given through generations...you, Izuku Midoriya, are the ninth holder. A formally quirkless _nobody_."

Izuku clenched his fists as the leader of the league's eyes met his own, red clashing against green. He resisted lunging forward in that moment - nothing good would come out of it.

"And Katsuki Bakugou, resident feral dog of the most prestigious hero school-" Katsuki grinds his teeth together, palms crackling with sparks at the villains insult. "-and someone who also knows of this so-called 'secret'. You two grew up together, right?"

Neither answered - Izuku was sure one of them would snap, and Shigaraki laughed, throwing his head back. "Heroes shouldn't have those rather angry expressions on their faces."

"Shut up, shitrag." Katsuki snaps, and Shigaraki grows somber at that.

"People like you both are the people I hate the most." he growls. "You all act the damn same - wanting to save everyone and dust everyone's worries under the damn rug! Well guess what?! You can't save everyone, you can't be everywhere! You're failures. Sensei was going to make things so much better, but you ruined it!"

Izuku was taken aback by the pure rage and hatred present in the others tone.

"You took my sensei away...and I'll admit, it helped me grow."

"If he gets distracted, rush him." Izuku faintly hears Katsuki whisper to him - all the greenette can do is nod as he watches the villain in front of them intently. They both shift, as if going to move forward, hoping that the decay user wont notice.

A mistake.

Shigaraki stares at the two of them with a strange calm, and Izuku can hear his heart pounding in his ears.

"Well...its better if I show you, isn't it."

A strangled scream as Shigaraki rests all five fingers on Toshinori's upper back.

* * *

He sees _red_.

Izuku didn't realise he was moving until his foot connected with the hand villain's face, throwing his entire weight into the other. He's sure he feels something crunch under his forceful attack, but he doesn't care.

Izuku bares his teeth as he scrambles back upright, blood pouring down Shigaraki's face from his broken nose. The villain starts to flee after having been thrown back, and the student is ready to follow until a hand grabs and pulls him back. Katsuki growls as he glares after the villain.

"I'll deal with that fucker Deku." Katsuki leaves no room for argument. "Go to All Might before he keels over." the explosive teen then faces Shigaraki as he desperate tries to flee, his signature sneer taking place. "Hey Shittyraki! Don't have all the fun without me!"

As Katsuki propels himself towards the villain with his explosions, Izuku turns to face All Might with wide eyes, rushing to his mentors side, who hadn't yet moved. "Toshinori-san!"

Izuku fell to his knees and grasped his mentor gently, pulling him close to embrace him as a shuddering breath left him. He was alive, _he was alive_. Shigaraki had failed.

"You're gonna be alright now - when Kacchan deals with Shigaraki we can take you back to U.A." Shigaraki shouldn't have done that much damage, he hadn't been touching the retired hero for that long.

"M-my boy-"

"It was so _stupid_ that you went after him, and I thought I was suppose to be the reckless one."

"Midori-"

"B-but its all fine now!" Izuku knows he has tears in his eyes, but he couldn't help it - that could've been a close call, he could've lost his mentor - no, father figure - he could've _lost him_. "Shigaraki won't be able to hurt-"

"Izuku!"

His sensei's voice jars the boy out of his speech, and he stares at Toshinori with wide eyes. The retired pro hasn't attempted to get up - a far-away look in his shadowed eyes. "Izuku..." The greenette doesn't like that tone.

"I...I don't think I'm going to make it, my boy."

"W-what do you mean?" Izuku hears static as All Might's words. "Shiga...Shigaraki's gone, he isn't hurting you anymore!"

"Izuku...his quirk doesn't stop."

The boy bites back an inhumane sound, maneuvering the aging hero so he can take a look and no _no nO-_

His back was decaying, turning to dust and revealing_ bone and muscle, bile begins to rise in Izuku's throat-_

_Why wasn't it stopping, it stopped when Aizawa used his quirk at the USJ-that was it, wasn't it? Aizawa had stopped _Shigaraki himself_ from using his quirk, the man couldn't stop it himself, it wouldn't stop when he let go of something-_

A whine must've escaped the One For All holder, as Toshinori gentle rested a hand on his shoulder. "Izuku-"

"N-no you c-can't give u-up!" Izuku cuts in, gritting his teeth as tears fill his eyes, and he raises his head. "Kacchan!"

The blond doesn't respond - he had given chase to Shigaraki, he probably wasn't within hearing distance. They-they needed Aizawa, Recovery Girl, a_nyone!_

"My boy-"

"You can't die!" Izuku's voice cracks as he grasps on tightly to the other, tears steadily beginning to make their way down his face. "I c-can't risk moving you."

What could he do, this wasn't _fair this wasn't suppose to happen-_

"My boy, t-there's not much we can do-" he was cut off by a bloody cough, and that heightened Izuku's panic.

"Y-you promised!" he all but cried, shaking and shuddering, he couldn't look him in the eye any longer. "You _s-said_ you'd be there! You promised you'd twist fate with me!" He feels long, slender fingers run gently through his messy hair, and he shakily draws in oxygen as his mentor all but chuckles gently.

"I-I'm sorry I couldn't keep that." Toshinori murmurs, and Izuku looks up at him once more. Tears are leaking out of his mentors blue eyes, and choking back a sob, Izuku buries his head into his chest. He can hear the slight crackling and rustling as the decay continues its path - Izuku can't stop it.

He's never felt more helpless. _Worthless_.

"I c-can't lose you-"

"You never will." Toshinori, providing the comfort despite the one being in death's path. "Remember, Izuku...we share a bond much greater than blood..."

_One For All..._

"I-I-I can-t-" Izuku chokes and cries but he knows none of that will change the outcome, that none of that will save Toshinori Yagi. "-how can I b-be a hero if I can't save _you?"_

"You saved me from the very start, Izuku. From Quirkless fanboy to now...you kept me going." a light chuckle escapes the dying man. "If it hadn't been for you...I would have given it all up to All For One. I wouldn't be here now...and I thank you for that."

The sobs and whimpers are all that answer Toshinori as he allows his eyes to close, leaning into his students embrace. He can feel himself as if he's floating - he strangely doesn't feel any pain, as he continues to card his fingers through the boys hair.

"You've always been my hero..._son."_

* * *

And that's how Katsuki finds them, roughly half an hour later.

Izuku kneeling on the ground, covered in tears and sweat and _red_ as he cries helplessly...

...over a pile of dust and a puddle of blood.

For the worlds mightiest hero had fallen.

Not only a hero...but someone much, _much more_ than that.

Izuku Midoriya had not only lost his idol, his hero.

He had not only lost his mentor.

He had lost All Might. He had lost Toshinori Yagi.

But most importantly,

he had lost his father.


	3. torn from the inside

**contains depressed Midoriya, as well an 'implied' suicidal thought**

* * *

Midoriya Izuku always wondered what it would be like, to be with the other children.

The small boy sat underneath a maple tree, knees drawn up to his chin as he watched a small group of children - not much older than he was, at the age of seven - play around in the foliage and with one another.

It must be nice.

Big emerald eyes began to gaze away from the small group as one child let out a sound akin to a cheer, leaves falling from their hair. He wondered what type of quirks they had, if any-

No, no. Of course they had quirks. It was rare for a child these days not to have one-

_They aren't like you._

He let out a sigh, ignoring the pale leaves fluttering down from the tree overhead, doing his best to will away the tears that sat unshed in his eyes. Scrunching his face up, the boy willed for one thing as the voices came back.

_Please stop, please stop, please stop._

It didn't.

* * *

If you asked the boy who he loved the most, the very first thing to tumble out of his mouth would be that of his mother, Midoriya Inko.

His loving mother, too worried for her own good at the best of times...but she was the best mother Izuku could ever ask for. The only mother he could ask for.

_The only one able to put up with him._

Izuku often heard others whisper under their breaths, if not about him then about his mother. He weight and her tear ducts did her no favours.

_It's your fault. Your fault for not being strong enough, for being Quirkless._

Izuku was happy with how much he came out like his mother. The same green hair, wide green eyes, and the short stature (for now), although he always wondered who made the other half of him. The freckles, the wild curly hair with black, the determination that gleamed through his gaze every day, helping him _fight_.

He wondered what having a father was like.

The boy had heard of Midoriya Hisashi - small details here and there about the man that supported them from abroad, the elemental quirk he held in his possession.

If Izuku could meet him, he would ask him all sorts of questions about his fire breath - what was its range? How hot could it get? How did his quirk activate? Had he ever burnt the inside of his own mouth?

But he couldn't help his mind wander. Like how the seasons change, or fallen water evaporates to be turned into new rain...everything came full circle.

Was it his fault?

Was he the reason that Hisashi was never home to see his loving wife? Because he was Quirkless?

Izuku tried to remember fleeting memories of a black haired man, sharp note and cheekbones, rough around the edges - tried to remember the warmth in his fiery eyes.

Only to find none.

Hisashi as a loving father was non-existent.

_It's your fault, Izuku._

The voices crowed at his failure from within, no matter how hard he tried, they were always there.

_A failure. No one want's a Quirkless son._

Was he hurting his mother by being around? If he left...would Hisashi come back?

_But you would hurt her in the process._

He tried not to question his thoughts- he knew not to listen.

But it was hard.

Especially when the voices were right.

* * *

By the age of twelve, Izuku had learned a lot - a lot that a boy his age shouldn't have to know.

How to never expect kindness from those around you. How to blend in with the crowd. How to pinpoint your enemies weaknesses within a few moments...and how to take advantage of them. He never did, however.

Because usually, it was Kacchan.

Kacchan was like an unreachable goal - the last cookie left in the jar, or the last glass of soda. Something not to be touched or trifled with - if only the small Quirkless boy listened.

He didn't know how it felt to go through a day without fear. Without pain - the burns, scrapes and cuts hurt more and more every day. But they never hurt as much as the words hurled carelessly around him.

_Quirkless. Weak. Loser. Worthless. Useless._

_Useless._

_Useless._

He didn't know how it felt to not fake a smile, to not have to put a charade on for his mother who so obviously saw right through him and she could do nothing for her baby was hurting.

He didn't know how it felt to feel..._alive._

Was this really living?

Was it living if all he really felt was cold and empty?

He felt happy whenever he saw All Might, taking interviews or whenever he watched old fights.

The way the hero spoke...it grappled Izuku, it allowed him to feel happy. _Even if just for a moment._

But he could never reach that high. Like with Icarus reaching the sun - he would only sink further and further.

_All Might would want nothing to do with you._

If only he knew then...

* * *

At fourteen, Izuku's heart was shattered.

The sun - _All Might_ \- had only brought pain upon the young boy.

_"Can you be a hero without a Quirk?"_

Izuku had hoped he was wrong. He had hoped that the smallest thread of hope was still there.

_That the whispering voices were wrong._

_"No, I think not."_

Izuku bled.

His idol - this man, built like no tomorrow - was right. Of course, he was always right, wasn't he?

_You can't be a hero._

Izuku clenched his backpack straps as the number one hero - skinny, frail, injured - left though the doorway, leaving helpless Izuku where he stood. His knuckles turned white.

_You can't be a hero._

He tried with all his might to stifle the sobs and tears that threatened to escape - until he got home, away from here - but he couldn't. Nothing was working, _nothing was working-_

**_You can't be a hero..._**

_"If you think you'll have a quirk in your next life...go take a swan dive off the roof!"_

Izuku was mildly aware of the tears slowly dripping off his chin and onto the concrete below as those words repeated and repeated and _repeated_.

...

...

What...what was left for Izuku?

He slowly began to trudge towards the door, bringing a hand up to try and wipe his tears away. Kacchan was right. He always was, wasn't he?

_And hey, who knows...he hadn't tried for a flying quirk yet, had he?_

* * *

At 15, working hard with All Might by his side, Izuku thought he would be happy. this-this was a dream come true. A quirk given through his idol, one that got stronger with each generation. A quirk that gave him a living, breathing chance for his dream-

But he still felt tired. Alone. Unworthy.

_All Might's making the wrong choice._

He was so, so _tired_. But he shouldn't be! He had no reason to be!

Izuku wanted to cry out in frustration. He didn't deserve this, he didn't!

He was a fraud, a fake - why had All Might given him such a big chance? He was going to blow it! The Symbol of Peace would probably want his quirk back after he saw what a failure Izuku was.

Like his father had. Like his mother. Like Kacchan and the others.

It always happened.

_You're an impostor._

The beach would be cleaned, but then what? UA? As if they'd let him in.

All he could make were half promises.

Sometimes, as he lugged trash about, listening to his mentor encouraging him from nearby, the green-haired boy wondered for the slightest moment;

_Should I tell All Might?_

About the voices, the crippling tiredness that seeped into his very bones, how burns and flesh wounds barely even stung. How the red blood from inside matched his red shoes far too nicely for his own good.

He had wondered...would the hero help?

_Ah...but trash doesn't wait for anyone._

All Izuku could do was bare his teeth into a forced grin and set back to work.

No, he wouldn't tell anyone.

* * *

No one would believe the Quirkless boy.

No one would believe Midoriya Izuku.

No one ever did.


	4. softened pride

**warnings for abuse (not detailed) and bakugou swearing! 1st part of 3, takes part at the end of their first year**

* * *

"H-hey, Kacchan..."

Katsuki had to do a double-take, unbelieving of the scene in front of him. He wouldn't have seen this coming...well, ever.

Because there stood Midoriya Izuku, his childhood...rival? Downtrodden and soaked in the pouring rain, a hand cupping his own cheek. Katsuki couldn't see much, but he was sure a mark was beginning to bruise over. Lightning crackled overhead behind him, the other boys gaze lowered and not making eye contact.

The blond had been sleeping upstairs when furious but quiet knocks had sounded from the front downstairs - even over the rumble of the thunderstorm, he had awoken from his slumber and answered the door before his parents woke. He figured it would've been Kirishima - who he would've told to piss off.

But no. Here stood Midoriya, _Deku_, at close to midnight. In front of _his_ house.

"Deku?" Katsuki couldn't stop the disbelief that crept into his voice, and all of a sudden, the greenette looked up startled, in shock. He took two shaky steps back, and tensed his shoulders.

"A-ah I shouldn't have come, sorry...you were just the closest-I can a-always just go to Iida-kun's-"

His classmate had begun to step back more, and before Katsuki knew what he was doing, he had strode forward and gripped the front of his classmates shirt - which he noted was slightly singed. Just what had happened-

"It-it's fine, nerd." Katsuki forces a more stern tone as he scowls at the other boy before all but shoving him inside. "You're soaking wet, doubt Auntie Inko would be happy if you got sick because of it. My own damn hag would be breathing down my neck."

That wasn't the only reason why. Something wasn't right.

"K-Kaccha-"

Katsuki didn't allow him to make any excuses, closing the front door behind them before fixing the smaller teen with a glare. "The hag and old man are asleep, don't go waking them up or _I'll_ cop it," he all but snaps, relaxing his grip on Izuku's shirt.

"I-" the other was cut off once more as Katsuki turned and made for the stairs, and upon realizing that Deku wasn't following, glared over his shoulder.

"Well fuck, come on already. I'm not carrying your ass up."

Deku had no choice. Katsuki makes his way up - and some little part of him was glad to hear footsteps echoing his own.

* * *

It was utter bullshit that UA made them go home for a small 'end of year' break, Katsuki figures. It was only a week - seven days - yet Deku had managed to get himself hurt.

He scoffs, allowing his red eyes to glare at the door that led to his bathroom, waiting for when it would open and reveal the other. Izuku, who he had all but shoved in there with a shirt and sweatpants. He didn't even know if they would fit.

"You nearly done in there?" Katsuki calls, clicking his tongue as Deku seems to take his time replying. He almost considers breaking in there just to make sure the nerd didn't try climbing out the window.

"Y-yeah, just give me a minute..."

His voice was quiet and shaky and Katsuki knew something was underneath it all - he always knew, he had grown up with the crybaby after all, he knew him as well as he knew his damn quirk.

But he didn't _know_. Then again, did he really have the right to know? Sure, they'd grown up together...but Katsuki wasn't the nicest kid, he knew he was an asshole. Especially to Deku.

They'd be patching things up...slowly. After everything that had been going on with One For All...Deku and All Might had confined in the blond about the mishaps with the quirk. They were making progress.

But he knew nothing could make up for the ten - hell, eleven - odd years that he had bullied, _abused_ the other boy. He couldn't just give back those years. Even if Deku seemed like he had left it all behind...it was fucked up, what he did.

Katsuki's thoughts are cut short as the bathroom door opens, and he sneers at the figure stepping out, "took your damn time," he quips. But then he sees them.

_He sees them._

Deku's arms are littered in bruises - most light and scattered across his freckled skin, the same with his legs, too. The bruise on his face stood out more, now that Deku was dry, and he swore he could see dark marks around his neck, too dark for his liking.

But fucking Deku had a smile on his face...forced, it didn't reach his green eyes, eyes that shone just a little duller than usual. "Thanks Kacchan! You didn't have to, I would've walked to Iida-kun's or Todoroki-kun's-"

"What, and walk in the fucking storm for who knows how long?" Katsuki cuts him off, causing Deku to stutter to a halt and scuff his feet, not making a remark. Katsuki waits for a moment, to see if he would get an explanation.

He doesn't.

"Alright, nerd," that catches Deku's attention, who's looking at him again. "You're taking the couch, I'll tell my parents in the morning - write them a note or some shit. I'll grab some spare stuff," and the explosive teen doesn't leave room for argument, lest that Deku wants to be pushed down the stairs.

Fortunately, Deku gets the message, wordlessly nodded and leaving Katsuki's room. He allows himself a moment to reflect.

_Deku might be a dumbass, but there's no way he'd let some stupid D-list villain push him around...the villains haven't made a move in a few months, doubt it was Shigaraki and his gang...maybe it was Auntie-_

Katsuki has to swallow back a lump in his throat, cursing himself for thinking that - no, no. Inko loved her son too, _too_ much. She'd never hurt him - any blind man and his mother could see it. It wasn't like the relationship he had with his own mother - aggressive. Inko and Deku were like a proper mother and son duo. All sappy and shit.

She'd never hurt him.

_But...who did?_

Katsuki stomps out of his room and further down the hallway, opening a cupboard which he knew stored a few spare blankets and towels. Nearly wrenching the door off its hinges he grabs the biggest blanket before shuffling with it down the hallway, down the stairs, and back into the living room.

Deku sits tersely on the couch, having flicked the light on - he doesn't look up as Katsuki approaches, his shoulders set, so the other teen all but throws the blanket over Deku's head, nearly getting a yelp from the other as he flails for a few moments. "Kacchan!"

Katsuki speaks while ignoring Deku as he gets out from under the blanket, "I'm going back upstairs and going the fuck to sleep. You should do the same, nerd."

He turns without sparing another glance, hurrying back up the stairs.

Despite having left the other boy rather soundly...why did his gut feel so heavy?

* * *

And heavy his gut remained. Katsuki tossed and turned in his bed...but it didn't feel right. He just couldn't sleep.

The nerd was safe. What was his problem?

He would be fine, he was just downstairs, so why was it so difficult for Katsuki to fall asleep? Fuck. He didn't have a reason to be worried, he shouldn't be worried. Deku wouldn't want that, and he didn't want to care. Not about the nerd, not about anyway.

So why _did_ he care?

The blond reached over where he was sprawled across his bed, snatching his phone off the bedside table and allowing the light to temporarily blind him as he checked the time.

_3:45 am_

A growl escapes his throat, and he sits up, throwing his legs around the side of the bed so he could climb out and stand up. Pocketing his phone, the blond snatches his pillow and the blanket as well, grumbling under his breath before he goes to stomp out of his room. He'd been tossing and turning for about three hours..._fuck this shit._

_Damn nerd making me worry-fuck no! I don't care! I don't!_

Ambling down the staircase, Katsuki wasn't at all surprised to see the light from the living room still on - Deku was still up. He didn't notice the others loud approach, curled up on one side of the couch as he tried to sleep. Much like Katsuki himself had been...

He not-so-elegantly dumps his blanket and pillow onto the couch, causing Deku to startle and look at his childhood friend with wide eyes. "Wha-"

"Scoot over nerd," Katsuki all but sneers, plopping himself down onto the unoccupied half of the couch. Deku watches him like he'd just torn his prized limited-edition All Might poster. But he can't do much as the other rearranges his blanket and pillows.

"Kacchan-"

"Tell anyone and I'll kill you," the blond snaps, not looking at him as he settles down once and for all, not offering any explanation.

* * *

Izuku wasn't sure how long the two of them sat there, silent in each others company - if you had asked them about this months ago, there would have been an uproar. Kacchan and he...they were working things out. Of course, the teen knew that things could never go back to how they were, before Katsuki got his quirk and Izuku was left far, far behind. It would never make up for everything that had transpired, for every bruise, burn or scratch. For the blood and tears shed, insults hurled - none of that could be taken away. Bu they had come far. Katsuki was working on his anger issues - he saw Izuku as an equal somewhat. He pushed the other boy. Izuku was working hard, too. To improve, to become a hero All Might would be proud of.

_He'd been getting better._

"Oi, Deku," Katsuki had been watching the greenette, scowling, "I can hear you thinking from here, jeez."

"Ah...sorry Kacchan..." Izuku forces his slightly shaking hands to fiddle with the edge of the slightly frayed blanket he had been given, allowing tension to sink into the air once more. He inhaled and exhaled; once, twice. A shaky shudder passed through him.

"...dad showed up."

Now Katsuki was surprised by this. Racking his memories, the blond could bring forth fleeting, distant times where the Midoriya family had been three big - the missing member being a tall, lanky man with Deku's hair in black and glowing eyes full of what he assumed at the time to be love for his son.

But had soon turned into distaste.

Midoriya Hisashi hadn't been around a lot from what Katsuki recalled - even growing up, contact had all but vanished soon after the other teen turned five years of age, soon after he had been declared quirkless. No better than how Katsuki had treated him - Why was he back now?

"He...mom told him about me getting into UA and getting a quirk. He apparently knew since sometime after the Sports Festival, but didn't do anything until a week ago when he got a break," Deku starts, allowing his eyes to trail the patterns on the blanket. "He, uh...he wasn't too happy."

Katsuki pieces it together, and for a moment he swears rage passes through him, "So he's the one who fucked you up?"

Deku's hands tighten on the blanket as he furrows his brow, frustration leaking onto his face. "He'd been fine for the first two days, but he doesn't want me to be a hero or go to UA," he scowls down at the blanket like it had wronged him. "Says he wants me to 'take over the company'...completely disregarded what I wanted and even better yet, said I'd be better off without a quirk..."

Tears begin to fill the greenette's eyes, but Katsuki could see he was trying to hold it in. The blond can only watch as the male brings up a scarred hand to rub at his eyes, willing the tears to not fall. "I-I just got so...angry at him for saying that, y'know? I couldn't help that I was quirkless and the reason he left. He made it even worse by saying that I'd be left behind by everyone no matter my progress! All he's seen is the Sports Festival footage! He can't just waltz back in and-and expect me to listen to him!"

_Fuck_. Deku was a twerp but he'd made more leaps and strides with his quirk than any of those other fucking extras.

"And then he gets angry at me for saying no! He-he threw the first punch and I..." Deku's anger simmers, and he slumps. "Mom still loves him...I didn't want to hurt him...so I didn't do anything, didn't even defend myself...mom got him off, but he kicked me out and told me not to go back."

Katsuki's eyes narrow, and in the light he eyes the bruising around Deku's neck. Damn asshole of a dad. He didn't have the right-

"What about Auntie?"

"She...he wont hurt her, he stopped when she pulled him back...besides, mom isn't a pushover," Deku sniffles, frustrated tears beginning to drip down his face, and Katsuki internally sighs.

"I didn't want to call anyone...y-you were the closest so I just-"

Katsuki puts his rage away for another day - preferably to unleash it on one Midoriya Hisashi - and silences the nerd with a look. "Look, tomorrow I'll have the old man look you over. We'll give you breakfast, than the two of us are gonna go back there and grab your stuff. If you can't stay there, Auntie would feel better knowing you were here."

"Kacchan-"

"Either you take it or my old hag locks you up inside for the rest of the break," Katsuki sneers, "so we'll go, and if Hisashit is there, I'll knock the lights out of him - would be doing Auntie a favour, I think."

"...what about-"

"We'll let Aizawa and All Might know too - everyone knows All Might would drop anything for you," Katsuki snarks. Deku looks at him with a wobbly expression, more tears impossibly filling his eyes.

"I-" he was speechless, his voice an impossible whisper, "why?" and honestly, Katsuki could see where the nerd was coming from. Why was _Katsuki_ of all people helping.

Katsuki rolls his eyes, lashing out a foot to kick the other in what could be seen as a somewhat playful manner as the other yelps. "Because your dad's an asshole. Besides, its not like I hate you outright. I have a lot of shit I need to make up for - might as well start somewhere, eh nerd?"

A watery laugh escapes the other, and for a moment Katsuki feels content. At ease - at four in the morning with someone he would've tried to harm months, _years_ ago.

Katsuki then snatches his own pillow, sending it flying into Deku's face and causing the other boy to squawk in retaliation. "Now lets fucking sleep already. I'm tired and no doubt we'll be woken up in a few hours anyway with a screaming match."

Knowing Mitsuki - it was bound to happen.

Deku however agrees to the suggestion, settling down and tossing the pillow back as Katsuki moves to turn the light off, not making an effort to go back to his room - no matter if the weight in his gut was gone.

After everything had been said and done, and the two resting among one another on the couch, both fell easily into slumber.

That was how the morning greeted them, two enemies-made-friends, going back to how they had been as children.

And if Deku had somehow managed to sprawl himself across Katsuki's lap during the night, snoring softly away and the blond waking beforehand, he didn't mention it.

Not until the blasted nerd woke up with his mother loudly announcing her arrival.


End file.
